We all are.Yet some people live their lives copying someone else’s. Unconsciously of course (for some). Most crave for attention, there’s no surprise there. Question: how can you get attention if you look and act just like everybody else?
If we all look the same, walk, talk the same, how boring will this world get!

There are billions of people in the world and we all have different fingerprints. That in itself shows that we were not born to be the same.
I know (rolls eyes) media, social influences and all that crap. I get it. My point is, we all have the power to actually choose to be different. Don’t get me wrong, I tried to be someone else too. Well, it was a mix for me. Britney Spears abs, Nicole Scherzinger’s height, Kim Kardashian’s life minus the scandal, some girl in the grocery store’s hair…

At the end of the day, all I got was 100% of April. And I couldn’t be happier..

Yes, we can admire people. Heck! We should. They can be your inspiration.
Admire them but not be them. There’s a difference. Best thing you can do is be the best of what YOU can be.

Until you stop trying to be someone else, then that’s the moment you truly learn to love who you are.

So here you go. My thoughts on how to be different.

1. Know what you want and who you are

I can go on and on about daring to be different but if you don’t know what you want and who you are, what’s the point? It all starts there. Know yourself first then let the whole world know next.. 🙂

2. Be Real

Did you know that plastics is bad for the environment? Same goes with plastic people. These are the people who loves you to death when you’re around but when you turn your back, they have a 6-inch knife ready to stab you with. We all know some plastics. We all hate them so why be like them? Be Genuine. If you don’t like someone, tell them gently. Don’t spread it all over campus or worse, all over Facebook. It’s so childish. It actually shows more about your character than the person who’s reputation you just destroyed. Be real. Be you.

3. Kick Fear’s Ass.

People don’t speak out or do what they want due to F-E-A-R. That 4-letter word that is so damn paralyzing! You’re gay. So what?? Scared of what people would think of you? Scared how your parents would react? Scared of ridicule? Look, you’re ashamed and scared enough to actually tell people who you really are; so expect that they will be ashamed of you too. Harsh. I know.

But you have to know that if there’s one person who should be proud of you, its YOU.

Easy for me to say, huh? Maybe. But that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It means that I can be objective with my opinion. Again, be proud of who you are. Kick fear’s ass and just go for it! It might hurt you and your loved ones but I know how freeing it can be to just be you. And if the people in your life truly loves you, they will accept you no matter what.

4. Speak out and Stand out

People will continue to assume until you tell them otherwise. I had this friend who kept ordering fish for me every time we went out but I didn’t have the heart to tell him I hated it. 2 years passed… Yes, that’s 730 days. That’s when I finally had the courage to tell him how I felt and he just laughed about it. If only I had the courage back then, I would have enjoyed devouring buckets of chicken than gulping down fish.

Speak out. Be heard. But make sure that you express your thoughts with respect. Just because you have the courage to do it, does not mean you have to with Bronx attitude. Be respectful. Got that homey?

5. Be ready for the consequences

People hate change that they try so hard to keep things just the way they are. Change is inevitable. What we can do is learn to adapt to it. Being different is not easy. It’s easier to just go along with what our friends want, with what our parents want (remember the Nurse Boom?) I can relate. Enrolling for a course your parents like? All so familiar. It’s not going to be smooth sailing. But things that forces you to pass rough roads are usually worth it. Success is not a destination, it’s a journey. Enjoy it. And the best success for me is knowing that you fought for yourself. Your true self.